


The Difference Between...

by xtremeroswellian



Category: Jericho (US 2006)
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M, My ship that sank before it floated, RIP Jeather, RIP Jericho too, What I wish had happened basically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 23:19:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17354531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: Heather. He hadn't seen her for a few days. He wondered what she was doing for the holiday. Probably spending it alone considering she had no family in the area.





	The Difference Between...

All things considered, Jake Green should have been happy. Apocalypse aside, he was sitting around the dinner table with his parents, sister-in-law, and Emily Sullivan, the girl he once thought he was going going to marry. It was Thanksgiving, and sans one brother, everything was the way it should have been, theoretically.

Beside him, Emily was gazing at him with a smile on her face and when he turned to look at her, he saw her eyes were sparkling in the candlelight from the Thanksgiving dinner his mom had invited her to join.

As he gazed into her eyes, he felt a strange sensation pass over him. He was suddenly seeing brown eyes instead of blue ones, a brunette gazing back at him instead of a blonde. Someone sweeter, more nervous, smarter. It dawned on him that he wished it was Heather in the chair beside him instead of Emily.

Heather. He hadn't seen her for a few days. He wondered what she was doing for the holiday. Probably spending it alone considering she had no family in the area. The thought of her being alone on Thanksgiving didn't sit well with him. "Mom, can I borrow a plate?" he asked suddenly.

Emily looked at him quizzically. His father raised an eyebrow but remained silent. April hid a small smile.

His mom, however, smiled knowingly. "Of course you can."

Scooting his chair back from the table, Jake rose to his feet, heading into the kitchen and grabbing one of the larger plates. Scooping out several spoonfuls of each dish his mom and April had prepared, he then covered the plate with aluminum foil and headed for the front door. "I'll be back."

He hopped in his car, started the engine and sped off across town toward Heather's small house. As he pulled into the driveway and killed the engine once more, he saw a faint glow of candlelight coming from the living room window.

Good. She was home.

Climbing out of his car, he balanced the still-warm plate in one hand and knocked lightly on her front door with the other.

A moment later, the door opened and Heather's doe eyes widened a little. "Jake? What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her and held the plate up for her to see. "Thought you might like some Thanksgiving dinner...and some company."

She gazed at him warmly. "You brought me dinner?" Her voice was soft.

He grinned. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." She held the door open and stepped aside to let him in.

Jake stepped past her into the living room, glancing around. On the floor a few feet away he spotted an open can of corn with spoon sticking out, an open book beside it by the candle. "What are you reading?"

Heather hesitated a moment. "Alice in Wonderland," she admitted.

His smile faded a bit. Not all that long ago, she was nearly killed because of that book--not something he was likely to forget anytime soon.

She shrugged a little, taking the plate from him as he held it out. "Smells good."

"Beats cold canned corn," he said with a faint smile.

"What doesn't?" She chuckled softly and moved to sit back down on the floor. She glanced up at him. "You can sit down if you want."

Nodding a little, Jake shrugged out of his jacket and settled down beside her on the floor, "So I haven't seen you for awhile."

"Yeah," she murmured, slowly pulling the aluminum foil off the plate.

"Is there a reason you're avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," she objected, looking at him once more.

"No?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

Heather was silent for a moment. "Okay. Maybe a little," she admitted, her voice very soft. She dropped her gaze to her plate.

"Are you gonna tell me why?"

A wry smile tugged at her lips. "You mean...other than the fact I threw myself at you not that long ago?"

"Is *that* what this is about?" He chuckled. Her smile faded and he instantly realized he shouldn't have laughed. He reached out and touched her arm. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Heather looked down at his hand, and then up at his face, meeting his gaze once more. "It's just...I know you and Emily--"

"Me and Emily...are a thing of the past. We were over long ago," he said softly, reaching up and touching her cheek.

"Jake, what are you--"

"I'm glad you kissed me." Dipping his head, he captured her lips with his own. When the kiss ended, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Now, he thought, things feel right again.


End file.
